The Ghost of a Tragedy
by AriesInRetrograde
Summary: Slightly AU TenRose one-shot set at the end of 4x01. Very minor canon divergence. Even for a Time Lord, losing the one person you love more than anything in the universe always felt like the worst thing imaginable and for good reason; because it was. Yet still, seeing her only a stone's throw away from him, even for only a few moments, it was enough to give him hope.


With Matron Cofelia gone and the Adipose returned safely to the stars, The Doctor and Donna Noble, along with the rest of Planet Earth, were left in peace once more. This gave the Time Lord and his fiery friend a chance to reunite properly and, after a heated discussion about Donna's lack of romantic interest in him and an invitation to travel together once more, the two settled before the read-headed woman went in search of a place to store her mother's car keys while The Doctor was left to process everything he had just gone through. For a man who had lived for over nine hundred years, it was perplexing to think that he could still be surprised by what the universe threw his way and yet he always was. It was like the obstacles ahead of him were as infinite as the stars themselves and the reaffirmation of that fact only added more weight on his two hearts as he wondered what horrors would befall him and his new travelling companion next. He didn't think he could take another tragedy after The Master's attempt to murder the human race only months previously. That travesty had prompted Martha's exit and had left him alone again; a state of existence that was constantly advised against by everyone he ever crossed paths with and one that left him stricken with guilt and remorse for ever having brought an innocent soul into the harsh reality that the universe wasn't as wonderful as he led them to believe it was. Lonliness was a feeling that the Time Lord had felt a lot of in his long life and the sting could still be felt with each companion that he lost to any number of terrors. He tried to stay positive, reminding himself that he wasn't alone anymore now that Donna had come back into his life but he still had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that was telling him it wouldn't last.

With his new companion indisposed, he took the opportunity to go for a short walk, wanting to give himself a chance to calm down after the day's adventure. Although he only walked to the end of the alley and down the street, his feet cried out in pain with every step he took. Exhaustion wasn't something he felt often given his alien anatomy but, occasionally, he felt the strain of his travels and his body ached with fatigue. Still, sleep would only come when he was nestled in the comfortable embrace of the Time Vortex, safely tucked away from harm in the one place he could truly call home since the dessimation of Gallifrey so long ago, so walking was the only thing he could do until Donna came to collect him. After a few moments of senseless wandering, The Doctor stopped in his tracks on the bustling street pavement as people weaved around him quickly, obviously disconserted from what they had just witnessed. Amongst the sea of people, there was a flash of yellow and the ancient man could only watch as a blonde haired female turned in his direction, brushing the hair from her face and smiling sadly with big, expressive eyes and full pink lips; Rose. He was sure that he was hallucinating but he kept his eyes on her as she stared at him, holding her gaze as he allowed every emotion he ever felt for his pink and yellow human wash over him in the moments that their eyes stayed locked onto each other. In the end, it was Rose who broke the connection and that was enough to make his hearts break all over again as he watched her turn and walk away, head bowed as she retreated. His body ached to pursue her but his feet couldn't move, the fatigue making his limbs too heavy to do anything more than hold his body upright as he watched the blonde walk away before she faded away like she had never been there. Maybe she never had been; maybe it was all in his head, just a hallucination brought on by over-exhaustion or perhaps just wishful thinking. Either way, Rose was gone and she wasn't coming back. He knew that and he was still trying to accept it, even after all this time but something about her absence radiated unease in his mind, like there was something he didn't know but he couldn't quite get a grasp on what that could mean.

The Doctor stayed in his position for a minute more before dragging his weight back to the TARDIS and making his way inside to wait for Donna. As he leaned against the console of his beautiful ship, he tried to keep the image of Rose in his mind as the vision of her there on the street replayed over and over in his mind. He wondered what she would look like now and what she was doing with her life. Knowing her, she was fighting for the downtrodden and defending the Earth the way that only she could, with the compassion and loyalty that only Rose Marion Tyler could give. The Doctor had accumulated many regrets over the centuries but losing Rose trumped every single one. Of course, that was always the way. Even for a Time Lord, losing the one person you love more than anything in the universe always felt like the worst thing imaginable and for good reason; because it was. Yet still, seeing her only a stone's throw away from him, even for only a few moments, it was enough to give him a small sense of hope. Maybe things would be better now, perhaps life could be better. After all, that was what she had taught him over the course of their journey together. No matter what you face in your life, you should never give up hope because love can make everything better and, if there was one thing that could last through anything he ever encountered, it was his belief in the blonde shop girl that had had stolen his hearts.


End file.
